Touring America

Georgia

Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway is a 38-mile route in northeast Georgia, about 90 miles north of Atlanta. The byway forms a loop as it follows several state highways through Chattahoochee National Forest. Accessible from the byway is the summit of Georgia's highest mountain, Brasstown Bald. Andrews Cove is the only public campground along the byway. It has ten sites and is open May to November.

Utah

Fishlake Scenic Byway is a short 16-mile route in south-central Utah. The byway follows Utah Highway 25 and takes the traveler from a sagebrush and juniper landscape to stands of aspen, Engelmann spruce, and white fir. Portions of the route follow the shore of Utah's largest natural mountain lake. The byway crosses Fishlake National Forest; several public campgrounds are located along or near the byway. The largest campground is Mackinaw, which has 65 RV/tent sites for about $12 per night.

RV Vacation Planner

by Donna Flanders

Donna is retired from computer programming. After 20 years of computer work, she now devotes her analytical, organizational and research skills to developing vacations for others. She is a list maker and she shares her lists with you at RV Vacation Planner.

Planning Your Vacation - Part II

Researching the Destination

Once you have one or two destinations in mind, it is time to get on the Internet. You can search for the specific attraction (for example you can search for Acadia National Park) or you can search for the closest city or town (Bar Harbor, Maine). Generally, I use both approaches since I am likely to come up with different information from each search. I also find adding the word "visitor" to my city search usually helps me get better travel planning information. Look for a list of tourism websites sites that can be found in some road atlases and campground directories.

Popular destinations will often have more than one website. You may find one for state tourism, chamber of commerce, organizations which promote and protect areas and other commercial sites that promote businesses within the area. Take the time to read the website URL (address). Sites that have COM and BIZ in the name are commercial and business sites. Web addresses with ORG are non profit organizations. If the address has GOV in the name it is a government site with information related to city, state or federal government. The GOV sites may have links to chamber of commerce sites. Some websites also have an "About Us" page which helps you understand what the website is promoting and then you can better evaluate the information.

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Fun Stops U.S.A.

Kentucky

The Dedman Drug Store (c. 1865) is a unique Main Street property that retains all of the original cherry cabinetry, the pharmacist's station enclosed by cherry paneling and stained glass windows, and a soda fountain. Today the building is occupied by the Kentucky Fudge Company. Vistors can relax with a cup of freshly ground coffee, enjoy an old fashioned ice cream treat, and view the early drug store memorabilia on display.

RV Dump Stations

Here are some recent additions to the RV Dump Stations web site:

Discovering Your Public Lands

Wisconsin

Two Lakes Campground lies within the Chequamegon National Forest in northern Wisconsin. The campground is southeast of Drummond and is located between Lake Owen and Bass Lake. It has over 90 sites including 7 tent-only sites. The campground is open May to mid-October; camping fee is $17 per night. There are several other Forest Service campgrounds in the area (see their web site for details).

Wyoming

The Bureau of Land Management maintains the small Cottonwood Campground in central Wyoming. The campground is southeast of Jeffrey City about 11 miles off US Hwy 287 via the east loop of the Green Mountain Road. It has 18 campsites, water, and vault toilets; the camping fee is $6. Wild horses can be seen in and around the area year-round.

RV University

by Mark Polk

Mark Polk is the producer of training videos on how to use and maintain your RV. He is also the author of The RV Book, a personal guide to understanding and enjoying your RV.

RV Financing Frequently Asked Questions

It's that time of the year again, when many people are considering purchasing an RV. When I was a sales manager and finance manager for an RV dealership I would get asked lots of questions about financing RV's. I organized some of these questions and included them in the RV financing section of my book, "The RV Book". Here is an excerpt from my book on RV financing FAQ.

Will one RV lender offer better interest rates than another RV lender?
Interest rates change frequently. If the prime rate goes up RV finance rates will go up too. RV lenders send updated rate sheets to RV dealers whenever their finance rates change. RV specialty lenders watch each other closely and if one lender lowers rates the other lenders will generally follow suit. They will usually stay within a quarter to a half point of each other.

Are there other factors that will determine what interest rate I get?

Yes, there are several factors that will determine the rate you get. 1) It depends if the RV is new or used. A used RV (normally over 3 or 4 years old) will get a higher interest rate than a new RV. 2) Your down payment will affect your interest rate. If you finance the RV on a zero down program the interest rate will be higher. 3) The term of the loan will affect the interest rate. The shorter the term the higher the rate, the longer the term the lower the rate. 4) The amount financed will affect the interest rate. The lower the dollar amount the higher the rate, the higher the dollar amount the lower the rate. 5) Your credit history (credit rating or score) will affect the rate. The higher your credit score is the lower the interest rate will be.

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Exploring State Parks

Arkansas

Cane Creek State Park is located in southern Arkansas, southeast of Pine Bluff. The park features over 2,000 acres of rolling woodlands and 1,675-acre Cane Creek Lake. The campground at Cane Creek has 30 campsites with water and electric hookups for about $17 per night. Park staff offer guided walking, biking, kayaking, and birding tours throughout the year.

Montana

Big Arm State Park is one of several state-managed recreation areas on Flathead Lake, which is located in northwestern Montana. Big Arm State Park is just off US Hwy 93 about 14 miles north of Polson. It has 40 sites (30-foot RV limit) for about $15 per night from May through September. Wayfarers State Park (also on Flathead Lake) can handle larger rigs, has 30 sites at $15 per night, and is near the town of Bigfork.

Camping in City and County Parks

Iowa

Bells Mill Park is a county park nestled in the Boone River valley near Stratford, Iowa. The park is located six miles northeast of Stratford at 3100 Bells Mill Rd. There are 44 sites with electric hookups; the camping fee is $12 to $15 per night. There are no actual marked camping pads; campers are free to set up their RVs or tents on the grass areas.

Oregon

Three Sisters Overnight Park is a municipal park in Sisters, Oregon. The park is situated along Squaw Creek and has 60 sites but no hookups. A park host is on site April through September. Camping fee is $10 per night; seniors (60 years and older) receive a $1 discount per night.

Suggestions

Do you know of a city or county park that has a campground? Tell us about it!

Gadgets & Gizmos

Flag Pole Buddy

The Flag Pole Buddy is a complete flag pole system for your RV. Once the mounts are attached to your RV's ladder, there's no need to climb the ladder to set up the flag. A twist mount is designed to allow the flag pole to be installed from ground level. Accessories are also available such as a solar powered light globe and flashing LED lights.

RV Awning Travel Lock

Have you ever seen an awning blow off an RV as it was traveling down the highway? Has it ever happened to you? This little device is designed to prevent that from happening. The RV Awning Travel Lock inserts a steel pin into the awning roller so it can't turn and let the awning fabric unfurl while traveling.

Legends of America

by Kathy Weiser

Kathy is a personal friend and webmaster of the Legends of America web site. Her site focuses on the history-rich travel destinations of the American West.

Evolution of American English

Almost from the time that the first Englishman set foot upon American soil, our language began to evolve. A continuous process throughout the centuries, "Americanisms" have been created or changed from other English terms to produce a language that differs from our forefathers, signifying our uniqueness and independence.

By 1790 when the United States took its first census, there were four million Americans, 90% of whom were descendants of English colonists. This, of course, left no question that our official native language would be "English," but it would not be the same as that spoken in Great Britain.

By 1720, the English colonists began to notice that their language was quite different from that spoken in their Mother land. How did that come to be?

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